Hama Time!

Mark Hama is a legend in the Yashica TLR world. He actually worked at Yashica assembling TLRs for years. I became aware of Mr. Hama after buying my Yashica Mat 124. It seems that, going back years, every mention of having a Yashica repaired referenced him. His continued provision of Yashica repair services is great news for Yashica owners, of course. But recently, I discovered that he also repairs Minolta gear!

Here and there, I had heard rumors that he had repaired a Minolta but had no real evidence. The big deal for me is that Mr. Hama lives just across town and not far from KEH camera, which now has a browsing showroom. For those Minoltaphiles residing in the area, there are three reliable repair shops: KEH, Camera Services Company, and now the great Mark Hama!

When updating the repair services page, I try to communicate with repair shops by e-mail and sometimes by telephone. The attitude of shop owners varies from indifferent to enthusiastic. Some are engaging, and others seem to be annoyed at being called. I tried both contact modes with Mr. Hama and was fortunate to speak with him by phone. He was gracious and happy to discuss Minolta repairs. He took the time to discuss each of my cameras that needed a CLA or repair, including a new skin for my Autocord. The best news of all? He even repairs Minolta XKs, something very few shops will even attempt!

I own a few very special Minolta cameras, which I was blessed to get for ridiculous prices, such that I cannot afford to replace them. The idea of putting one of them into a box and shipping it off always brought a sense of dread—not anymore. There is a living camera repair legend right across town. It’s Hama time!